New separatist movement spotted in DR Congo's Katanga province: UN

KINSHASA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A new separatist movement has appeared in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) only days after the Central African country held the presidential elections on Nov. 28, UN officials say.

A Union of Forces for the Liberation of Katanga (UFLKA) was formed on Dec. 16 in Lubumbashi, the headquarters of Katanga province, where it was distributing leaflets calling for the independence of the region.

This information was revealed to the press on Wednesday by the military spokesman of the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Congo (MONUSCO), lieutenant-colonel Felix Basse.

On two occasions this year, just before the presidential and legislative elections, Lubumbashi was the theatre of incursions by armed men claiming to be separatist movements. They tried to take control of the airport and weapons from a military camp.

Since the 1960s, when DR Congo obtained independence, there have been attempts by rebel groups from Katanga, who always got support from interested foreign groups, to secede from DR Congo.

Katanga, a province rich in copper, is also known for other minerals. It attracts international lobbies who have sometimes been condemned for repeated attempts to balkanize the country.